List of monarchs of Prussia
]] The monarchs of Prussia were members of the House of Hohenzollern who were the hereditary rulers of the former German state of Prussia from its founding in 1525 as the Duchy of Prussia. The Duchy had evolved out of the Teutonic Order, a Roman Catholic crusader state and theocracy located along the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. The Teutonic Knights were under the leadership of a Grand Master, the last of whom, Albert, converted to Protestantism and secularized the lands, which then became the Duchy of Prussia. The Duchy was initially a vassal of the Kingdom of Poland, as a result of the terms of the Prussian Homage whereby Albert was granted the Duchy as part of the terms of peace following the Prussian War. When the main line of Prussian Hohenzollerns died out in 1618, the Duchy passed to a different branch of the family, who also reigned as Electors of Brandenburg in the Holy Roman Empire. While still nominally two different territories, Prussia under the suzerainty of Poland and Brandenburg under the suzerainty of the Holy Roman Empire, the two states are known together historiographically as Brandenburg-Prussia. Following the Second Northern War, a series of treaties freed the Duchy of Prussia from any vassalage to any other state, making it a fully sovereign Duchy in its own right. This complex situation (where the Hohenzollern ruler of the independent Duchy of Prussia was also a subject of the Holy Roman Emperor as Elector of Brandenburg) laid the eventual groundwork for the establishment of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1701. For diplomatic reasons, the rulers of the state were known as the King in Prussia from 1701 to 1772; largely because they still owed fealty to the Emperor as Electors of Brandenburg, the "King in Prussia" title (as opposed to "King of Prussia") avoided offending the Emperor. As the Prussian State grew through several wars and diplomatic moves throughout the 18th century, it became apparent that Prussia, and not the Holy Roman Empire, was the most powerful German state. By 1772, the pretense was dropped and the style "King of Prussia" was adopted. Thus it remained until 1871, when in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War, the King of Prussia Wilhelm I was crowned German Emperor. From that point forward, though the Kingdom of Prussia retained its status as a constituent state of the German Empire, all remaining Kings of Prussia also served as German Emperor, and that title took precedence. Duchy of Prussia (1525–1701) – | reignstart1 = 10 April 1525 | reignend1 = 20 March 1568 | notes1 = | family1 = Hohenzollern | image1 = Lucas Cranach d.Ä. - Bildnis des Markgrafen Albrecht von Brandenburg-Ansbach (Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum).jpg | alt1 = Albert, Duke of Prussia | name2 = Albert Frederick | nickname2 = | native2 = | life2 = – | reignstart2 = 20 March 1568 | reignend2 = 28 August 1618 | notes2 = Son of Albert | family2 = Hohenzollern | image2 = AlbrechtFriedrichPreußen.1612.JPG | alt2 = Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia | name3 = John Sigismund | nickname3 = | native3 = | life3 = – | reignstart3 = 28 August 1618 | reignend3 = 23 December 1619 | notes3 = Cousin of Albert Frederick, also Elector of Brandenburg | family3 = Hohenzollern | image3 = John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg.JPG | alt3 = John Sigismund, Duke of Prussia | name4 = George William | nickname4 = | native4 = | life4 = – | reignstart4 = 23 December 1619 | reignend4 = 1 December 1640 | notes4 = Son of John Sigismund, also Elector of Brandenburg | family4 = Hohenzollern | image4 = GeorgWilhelm.1635.Ausschnitt.JPG | alt4 = George William, Duke of Prussia | name5 = Frederick William | nickname5 = the Great Elector | native5 = | life5 = – | reignstart5 = 1 December 1640 | reignend5 = 29 April 1688 | notes5 = Son of George William, also Elector of Brandenburg | family5 = Hohenzollern | image5 = Frans Luycx 011.jpg | alt5 = Frederick William, Duke of Prussia | name6 = Frederick I | nickname6 = | native6 = | life6 = – | reignstart6 = 29 April 1688 | reignend6 = 18 January 1701 | notes6 = Son of Frederick William, also Elector of Brandenburg | family6 = Hohenzollern | image6 = Frederick I of Prussia (cropped).jpg | alt6 = Frederick I, Duke of Prussia }} Kingdom of Prussia (1701–1918) – | reignstart1 = 18 January 1701 | reignend1 = 25 February 1713 | notes1 = Son of Frederick William | family1 = Hohenzollern | image1 = Frederick I of Prussia (cropped).jpg | alt1 = Frederick I of Prussia | name2 = Frederick William I | nickname2 = the Soldier King | native2 = | life2 = – | reignstart2 = 25 February 1713 | reignend2 = 31 May 1740 | notes2 = Son of Frederick I | family2 = Hohenzollern | image2 = Friedrich Wilhelm I 1713.jpg | alt2 = Frederick William I of Prussia | name3 = Frederick II | nickname3 = the Great | native3 = | life3 = – | reignstart3 = 31 May 1740 | reignend3 = 17 August 1786 | notes3 = Son of Frederick William I | family3 = Hohenzollern | image3 = Friedrich Zweite Alt.jpg | alt3 = Frederick II of Prussia | name4 = Frederick William II | nickname4 = | native4 = | life4 = – | reignstart4 = 17 August 1786 | reignend4 = 16 November 1797 | notes4 = Nephew of Frederick II | family4 = Hohenzollern | image4 = Frederick Wilhelm II.png | alt4 = Frederick William II of Prussia | name5 = Frederick William III | nickname5 = | native5 = | life5 = – | reignstart5 = 16 November 1797 | reignend5 = 7 June 1840 | notes5 = Son of Frederick William II | family5 = Hohenzollern | image5 = FWIII.jpg | alt5 = Frederick William III of Prussia | name6 = Frederick William IV | nickname6 = | native6 = | life6 = – | reignstart6 = 7 June 1840 | reignend6 = 2 January 1861 | notes6 = Son of Frederick William III; also President of the Erfurt Union (1849-1850) | family6 = Hohenzollern | image6 = FWIV.jpg | alt6 = Frederick William IV of Prussia | name7 = William I | nickname7 = | native7 = | life7 = – | reignstart7 = 2 January 1861 | reignend7 = 9 March 1888 | notes7 = Brother of Frederick William IV; also President of the North German Confederation (1867-1871) and German Emperor from 1871 | family7 = Hohenzollern | image7 = Wilhelm1.jpg | alt7 = William I of Prussia | name8 = Frederick III | nickname8 = | native8 = | life8 = – | reignstart8 = 9 March 1888 | reignend8 = 15 June 1888 | notes8 = Son of William I; also Emperor of Germany | family8 = Hohenzollern | image8 = FriedIII.jpg | alt8 = Frederick III of Prussia | name9 = William II | nickname9 = | native9 = | life9 = – | reignstart9 = 15 June 1888 | reignend9 = 28 November 1918 (abdicated) Statement of Abdication of William II | notes9 = Son of Frederick III; also Emperor of Germany | family9 = Hohenzollern | image9 = EmporerWilhelm2.jpg | alt9 = William II of Prussia }} Timeline Pretenders to the Throne of Prussia (1918–present) * William II (28 November 1918 – 4 June 1941) * Frederick William (4 June 1941 – 20 July 1951) * Louis Ferdinand (20 July 1951 – 26 September 1994) * George Frederick (26 September 1994 – present) See also * Constitution of Prussia (1850) * Crown of Frederick I * Crown of William II * German Emperor * History of Germany * History of Prussia * Hohenzollern Castle * King in Prussia * List of German monarchs * List of rulers of Brandenburg * List of Prussian consorts * Minister President of Prussia * Year of the Three Emperors References Bibliography * . * External links * House of Hohenzollern Category:Kings of Prussia * Prussia Category:Dukes of Prussia Monarchs